For the most part, I’m a lover, not a fighter.
It’s a mystery to me why anyone would prefer conflict over cooperation. Nor do I understand people who seem to prefer having rivals or enemies over friends. And yet, as I stand back and watch humans viciously fight and argue with each other, I am reminded that not everyone shares my values.
Raised by devout Southern Baptist parents, I have forgotten many of the Sunday School lessons drilled into my psyche during my formative years. But I’ve never forgotten my faith, or my belief in Jesus. “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” has long remained the moral compass and mantra for my life.
Somehow I believed if I were good to people and tried to do the right thing, I would be blessed accordingly. This has not always been the case, and I’ve endured a great deal of heartache and disillusionment due to my naivety.
Society is made up of all kinds of people, each possessing their own mindset and agenda. Through trial and error, I would grow to realize that the love or attainment of money is, indeed, the root of much evil and mayhem in the world. And stepping on someone’s ego, I would learn, could provoke a wrath like none other.
When I was growing up in the seventies, my parents did not have much guidance or advice to offer concerning the world of work. I was told to get a job, to work hard, be diligent, and that everything would probably be okay. My parents had no idea that, two decades later, many jobs would be sent overseas and that companies would begin downsizing and reorganizing workers from their payrolls.
The only people who saw this unfortunate turn of events coming were the people organizing it: big-business and the politicians supporting their endeavors. And it wasn’t “unfortunate” for either of these groups, as they often received financial kickbacks in the process. The people most effected would be the regular folks in society -- the folks like me, the so-called working class that was preoccupied with paying the rent or mortgage and putting food on the table.
Like the proverbial ripples in a pond, the greedy actions of corporations and politicians would continue creating complications for those at the bottom of the human food chain.
When the unemployment rate is higher than normal, people are often told to be happy that they have a job, even if they encounter illegal activities like discrimination or harassment while employed. But I, believing in fairness and equality for all people, decided to take the road less traveled and speak out about the perceived injustices around me.
Perhaps for the first time in my life, I would choose to become a fighter instead of a lover. And during the process, I would create some turbulent and delightful ripples of my own.